Jump to content

RAFA40


Recommended Posts

RAFA40.thumb.jpg.a30b168303b15afa12f137cc5eb1bbf2.jpg

For those who are not aware: 

Paul Mockford (AKA Paranoob) and www.paramotortraining.com sponsored pilot.  And, 

Giles Fowler (AKA Giles Fowler) currently serving in the RAF. 

Are embarking on a charity flight to raise money for the RAFA :-)

We have also sponsored the event to help pay for the essentials that RAF people need like, champaign, hotels, massages and such. This is so that all of the money raised will be separated from event costs. For want of a better word, I have teamed up with the BHPA for this one who are also helping to cover the costs. :-) 

Please support charity which it what this is all about! :-) Here are the links: 

The RAFA40 in your face book page: https://www.facebook.com/RAFA40paramotor/

The RAFA40 donation page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rafa40?fbclid=IwAR2tqiNxS_9vICd3Lz8gAZGGA52ZO_zXMRgcVhcJ3_N69ydT7Se9zlt9pNA

Anything that supports our ex-forces I am more than happy to donate £5-£10 to, even better if it's also supporting fellow pilots as well, please take a look and consider a couple of squid :-)

SW :D

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

IT'S A GO!!!

We're leaving for Humberside tomorrow!

Giles Fowler and Paul Mockford, ably supported by fellow pilots Katie Pagett and Andy Greaves, attempt to fly over 40+ former or current RAF airfields over two days, landing to refuel at a couple of operational ones..  A 263 mile navigation and endurance marathon starting at the former RAF Goxhill in Humberside and finishing at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. 
Join us as we battle the weather, the sinuous route and the busiest military airspace in the UK. It's a flying history lesson!

You can track both pilots, and the crew in the van, on the map at this link: 
Tracking Map link: https://devfwd.com/rafa40/

We'll be updating the Facebook Page as and when we can:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RAFA40paramotor/

Please donate to the RAF Association at this link:
JustGiving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rafa40

Expect to see a full video on Paul's YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/PARANOOB

FULL ROUTE:
DAY 1  – 
Meet at RAF Halton, transfer paramotors and kit to support vehicle, drive 170 miles to Goxhill, Humberside. The first day will allow the team to preposition near the first departure airfield, RAF Goxhill, and check over the paramotors and the essential equipment needed for the 260 mile journey. 
Preparation and final checks are essential and nothing is being left to chance.

DAY 2 -
An early start and the flights could mean Paul and Giles are in the air for up to 7 hours over the first 3 legs.
 

Leg 1
RAF GOXHILL
RAF NORTH KILLINGHOLME
RAF ELSHAM WOLDS
RAF KIRMINGTON (Humberside Airport)
RAF HIBALDSTOW
RAF KIRTON-IN-LINDSEY
RAF BLYTON (optional)
RAF HEMSWELL
RAF STURGATE
RAF SCAMPTON

Leg 2
RAF WIGSLEY
RAF SWINDERBY
RAF WADDINGTON
RAF METHERINGHAM (optional)
RAF DIGBY
RAF CRANWELL
RAF BARKSTON HEATH
RAF SALTBY

Leg 3
RAF NORTH WITHAM
RAF COTTESMORE
RAF NORTH LUFFENHAM
RAF WITTERING (optional)
RAF KINGS CLIFFE
RAF SPANHOE
RAF DEENETHORPE
RAF GRAFTON UNDERWOOD
RAF DESBOROUGH (optional)
RAF HARRINGTON (optional)
RAF SYWELL

DAY 3 - 

Leg 4
RAF PODINGTON
RAF THURLEIGH
RAF CARDINGTON (optional)
RAF CRANFIELD 
RAF SILVERSTONE
RAF TURWESTON

Leg 5
RAF HINTON-IN-THE-HEDGES
RAF BARFORD ST JOHN
RAF ENSTONE
RAF UPPER HEYFORD
RAF FINMERE
RAF BICESTER

Leg 6
RAF WESTON-ON-THE-GREEN (optional)
RAF OAKLEY
RAF THAME
RAF WESTCOTT
RAF WING
RAF CHEDDINGTON
RAF HALTON 

DAY 4 - 
Drive home, victorious.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, admin (Simon W) said:

I did :-) We are one of the sponsors!! :-) 'not that you can tell to be fair' and not moaning about it... 

Paul has mentioned your support in a few of his video's 9_9

Good luck lads!! and stay safe :-)

I will be following the live feed when I have a moment. 

SW :D

Si hopefully your 1 of many i know i'll be watching it ;)

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, DavidG4 said:

This is an amazing challenge.  Keep it safe...the airfields will be there tomorrow.

Not necessarily David they are all to fast vanishing as we speak, and most probably not bothered about lost history and the Guys and places that made us Great.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats the attitude I was warning against...

 

But I do find it very sad that these historic places are ploughed up and built over with nothing more to show than Lancaster Close, Spitfire Lane and Vulcan Road.  Very sad.

 

I sometimes work out of what was Woodford (we have a simulator suite there) .  The old Avro huts were still there last year, probably gone now and so no reminder will remain of the place this area had in the history of the world.  

I suppose We should be glad that we no longer need air fields for war planes, but still it seems somehow disrespectful to build shitty New houses where once great warriors lived and died.

 

Post lots of pics...

 

D

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't worry Simon, I'm currently writing ad-reads to do in the sky.. all sponsors etc get a spot, yours is first. ;)
To be fair, I've mentioned everyone pretty much equally so far, apart from Micro Avionics as I went there in a video.
This is all new to me.....

With regards the airfields themselves... I recognise and respect every person that ever worked out of them and am proud to be from an RAF family and to raise money for the RAFA. I also know how important it is that the history needs remembering...
With that said, I am also VERY happy that we no longer 'need' all these airfields to defend our country, or to attack other countries from. The advancement of the human race depends on us stopping killing each other.
An ex-military airfield that is now used for farming to feed people, or renewable solar/wind energy generation, or a base for small companies, or for fun civvy aviation like us is a good thing in my eyes. At one time we unfortunately needed them. Now we don't.
I'll be doing my bit for the remembering history part, got a fair amount of info on the people that worked on them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simon,

I can categorically confirm that there were no massages involved in the event.  Paul kept insisting he gave me a massage but I refused every time.

Just got back home and working my way through some of the video.

Thank you so much for your support on this, it was such a massive help.  PMC Rocks.

See you all at the bore!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Came back to work this morning for a rest.  Still totally shattered from the Rafa event.......and i wasn't even bloody flying!

The boys did such an amazing job, pushing through flying weather that was pretty horrible at times and certainly for Paul, stuff he'd never flown in before, but he just got on with it knowing he had a job to get done.

We had some amazingly lucky timings, that could have easily caused us problems but were on our side for the two days which we were grateful for.

Thank you Simon for your help with it.  Without your help and help from all the other supporters, it simply wouldn't have happened. No way could this have worked as a 2 man or even 4 person mission.  It was the whole team of people pulling together to make it possible.

 

Andy.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Upcoming Events

    No upcoming events found
×
×
  • Create New...